Gospel Revelation, Treatise 3 · Sermon 2
The Second SERMON ON The Excellency of the Soul.
Matth. 16.26. For what is a man profited if hee ſhall gain the whole world and loſe his own Soul? or what ſhall a man give in exchange for his Soul?
I Shall adde one thing more, which ſhews the excellency of the ſoul in the relation that it hath to God, and that is this,
That it is ſatisfied onelyonly with God himſelf, there is nothing can fill the ſoul of man to ſatisfie it, but God himſelf. For the true object of mans underſtanding, it is not this truth, or the other truth, but truth in general, and the higheſt truth, and that is God; and the object of this ſoul, it is not this or that good, but good in general, the higheſt and the chiefeſt good, and that is God: Let all the creatures in the world preſent themſelves before the ſoul of man to bee the portion of him, Mans ſoul would ſay, theſe are not the things that can ſatisfie mee; ſaith Austin, Lord thou haſt made us for thy ſelf, and our heart is unquiet till it comes unto thy ſelf, and this is the excellency of mans ſoul, it is above all creatures; it is a vertue in the ſoul of man to have a holy kinde of pride, to think all creatures in the world to bee too little to bee the portion of it, and God takes this well, hee likes it well, that we ſhould know our own ſouls, ſo far, that wee ſhould have this kinde of pride of ſpirit, as wee may ſo call it, or rather a right elevation of ſpirit, to look upon all creatures in the world, as too low, and too mean to bee the portion of one immortal ſoul.
Many other things were delivered about the excellency of mans ſoul, that ſo you might know ſomething of your worth, that you are too good to bee ſlaves to the Devil, and it is good for you to know your own worth in this thing, that ſo your hearts might bee elevated above thoſe bare things that you ſought to have your happineſs in; all thoſe that ever have had true wiſdome, have accounted ſouls to bee very precious. I remember Zozomen the Eccleſiaſtical Hiſtorian ſaith of the Martyrs, that they ſuffered torment in their bodies, as if they were other folks bodies, and not their own, they lookt not upon them as any part of themſelves, but on their ſouls as themſelves; and ſo you finde it in Scripture that it is the ſoul of man, that is a mans ſelf. Compare for this, my Text in Matthew, with Luke 9. where you have the ſame ſpeech of our Saviour ſetting out the excellency of a mans ſoul. In the one it is, What will it profit a man, if hee gain the whole world, and loſe his own ſoul? In the other it is, If hee loſe himſelf; this is all one, the loſing of a mans ſoul, and the loſing of himſelf: for a mans ſelf it is his ſoul, as for the body it is but the caſe, it is but the out-ſide, and ſo indeed ſome of the Heathens accounted their bodies. Anaxarchus, Tunde tunde Anaxarchi follem, Anaxarchum enim non tundis.when hee was beaten in a Mortar to death by the Tyrants, hee calls to them, Beat, Beat as long as you will, you beat but the outward part of Anaxarchus, it is but the veſſel in which hee is.
The Devil himſelf hath high eſteem of ſouls, the Devil cares not, ſo bee it hee may gain mens ſouls, what they have for their bodies; the Devil doth not envy any wicked man to proſper in this world, to have a healthful luſty body, and to have ſtature and ſtrength, and beauty; But now, if hee ſees that there bee any means for the good of their ſouls, hee envies that, may the Devil have but their ſouls, hee cares not what they have otherwayes. But wee come to the application of this firſt point in my Text, Of the excellency of mans ſoul.
And the firſt Uſe is this, Uſe. Surely then wee ought to look upon every childe of man with ſome reverent reſpect and honour; there is not the pooreſt childe (as I told you the laſt day) that lyes crying at your doors for a cruſt, but hath a ſoul in it more worth than heaven and earth. And the conſideration of this ſhould make us look upon the meaneſt childe, ſervant, the pooreſt body, with an honourable eſteem and reſpect; how ever the glory of their ſouls bee darkned for the preſent, yet they have ſtill in them ſuch ſouls as are capable of a kinde of infinite good, more than all the other works that ever God made, except the Angels; do not look upon your ſervants that are under you with ſcorn and contempt, do not uſe them doggedly, as if they were brute-beaſts; Remember, though you bee a Maſter, a Miſtreſs, a Governour, you are a Governour of one that hath an immortal ſoul, more worth than all the world. A good man, ſaith the Scripture, is merciful to his beaſt, and ſurely then a good man will bee merciful to one that hath an immortal ſoul, and it may bee an immortal ſoul better than his Governour; how many have more reſpect to Dogs, to brute-beaſts, than they have to ſervants and children, and poor people, who have immortal ſouls? I have read of the Turks, that though they bee noted for moſt cruel people to men, as you heard of their cruelty to thoſe in the Gallies, yet they are very pittiful to brute-beaſts, and therefore they will give alms and ſtipends out of charity, to maintain brute-beaſts withall; and there is a ſtory of a youth that abuſing a bird that had a long bill, was like to have been ſtoned to death in the ſtreet, they did ſo hate cruelty to thoſe kinde of creatures, though they bee cruel to men. Many have this Turkiſh diſpoſition, that are dogged and cruel to thoſe of their own kinde, to thoſe that have immortal ſouls together with themſelves, though pittiful even to brute-beaſts. This is the firſt Uſe, Look upon all that have theſe ſouls with an honourable reſpect, conſidering they have that that is of ſo much worth.
Uſe. 2, And then ſecondly, If mans ſoul bee of ſo much worth, how can wee look upon many people, but have our hearts raiſed in the meditation of the dreadfulneſs of Gods Juſtice upon men for ſin? thus, God hath made man an excellent creature, and given to every one a ſoul more worth than the world; but now when wee look upon ſome people that have loſt the beauty of their ſouls, and now have no other uſe of their ſouls, but it may bee all their dayes to bee imployed in ſcraping of kennels, and raking in the duſt-heaps in your ſtreets, in attending upon horſes and ſwine; and this is all that they have to do in their lives: Oh what a low condition is man fallen into, that hath no other uſe of ſuch a rational immortal ſubſtance that God hath given him, but meerly to make him ſerviceable all his dayes, to tend ſwine, beaſts, horſes, ſcrape kennels, and ſuch kinde of things as theſe are!
But you will ſay, It is lawful for men to bee imployed in theſe, and poor people muſt bee imployed in them.
That is true, It is lawful to bee imployed in ſuch things, but now, when men and women have ſuch poor and mean imployment, and have no higher thoughts but meerly to get bread by ſuch imployments, and their ſouls buſied all their dayes about nothing elſe but thoſe things, this ſhews the woful fall of man, and manifeſts a dreadful fruit of Gods Juſtice upon the children of men for their ſin, Certainly, Man that was made in honour is become like the beaſt that periſheth in this regard: And when wee ſee the condition of men to bee ſo low, ſo baſe and vile as they are, ſo beneath the excellency of a rational and immortal ſoul; Oh let us raiſe our thoughts to the meditation Gods divine Juſtice, it is a fearful fruit of the juſtice of God upon man for ſin; what, is this the creature that hath an immortal ſoul made by God more worth than ten thouſand worlds? that lies ſcraping from morning to night in a kennel, and hath no other thoughts for any higher excellency, but onelyonly if it can get a lump of bread to live by, there is all they have to do, as if they were born for no other end? Oh! think then, is this the creature that hath ſuch an excellent ſoul? ſurely ſin hath made a great breach between God and man, and hath brought man-kinde into a very low and mean condition, and yet worſe are thoſe than theſe that have no other uſe of their ſouls than to bee drudges to the Devil, and ſlaves unto their luſts, but of this wee ſhall ſpeak to more afterwards; but now I onelyonly mention it, as to give a hint to the meditation of Gods juſtice upon man for his ſin.
Thirdly, If the ſoul of a man bee of ſo great an excellency, Uſe. 3 then certainly it muſt needs bee an honourable work for to bee buſied about ſouls, an honourable imployment for God to ſet one man or more to look to, and tend the ſouls of others: Oh! what a difference is there in the imployment between working in Wood and Iron all day long, or ſcraping in the duſt heaps (as before) and in an imployment of attending upon ſouls! to bee uſed by God as the inſtrument of converting of theſe ſouls, and bringing of them to their former excellency in which they were made, yea and to raiſe them to a higher excellency than ever they had in the firſt Creation! If wee prize mens imployments by the ſubject of their imployment, then certainly this is the moſt glorious imployment that any Creature in the world can bee capable of… what is the reaſon you account a Gold-ſmith a better trade than a Black-ſmith? but becauſe of the ſubject that the one works about rather than the other; one works upon Iron, and the other upon Silver and Gold; therefore one is a more honourable Trade than the other: Now, if the ſubject upon which they work makes one to bee more honourable than the other; what Trade in the world can be ſo honourable as the work of the Miniſtery? that works altogether about immortal ſouls, in bringing them to God, to live to God, and to enjoy communion with him: why do wee account a Phyſician a more honourable Profeſſion, than a Horſe-leech? one looks to the bodies of Beaſts, and the other to the bodies of Men; If there bee ſuch a difference between the body of a Beaſt, and the body of a Man, that hee that is imployed about the one is accounted honourable, and hee that is imployed about the other is accounted low, then certainly the imployment of the Miniſtery muſt needs bee honourable, for it is about ſouls.
The Magiſtrate looks unto your peace, the Lawyer to your eſtates, the Phyſician to your bodies, and the Divine to your ſouls; though outward reſpects may bee given more, and ſhould bee to the Magiſtrate, yet certainly the imployment about immortal ſouls, muſt needs bee the honourableſt in the world: It is the honour of the Angels, in Pſa. 91. to take care of the bodies of the Saints: If it bee the glory of Angels to take care of Gods people, what glory is it that God puts upon the Miniſters of the Goſpel to look to ſouls? and truly, in this thing God hath put more glory upon Men, than upon Angels; for God hath not made it to bee his ſet ordinance that Angels ſhould convert ſouls, but hee hath made it ſo that men ſhould bee made uſe of to convert ſouls by preaching the word; and let all the Angels in Heaven ſhew an imployment ſo honourable as this imployment is. You would account it a great honour to have the Body of a Prince to watch over; Surely there is no immortal ſoul but is more precious than all the Princes in the world; and if the Lord ſhould give unto you the care of all the Creatures, except the ſouls of men, it were not ſuch an honourable work as to give you the care of any one immortal ſoul; ſaith the Apoſtle, in 2 Cor. 4. the beginning, Let a man eſteem of us as the diſpenſers of the Myſteries of Chriſt: Let them eſteem of us; it is true, Miniſters of the Goſpel ſhould bee willing to lie under the feet of any to do good to their ſouls; but becauſe wee know that it is a great hinderance to the work of their Miniſtery, when brutiſh carnal ſpirits have low and mean eſteem of their work; therefore wee finde that the Apoſtle would ever bee ſetting up the honour of this work, Let a man eſteem of us as the diſpencers of the Myſteries of Chriſt, and in 1 Theſ. 5.12, 13. Wee beſeech you brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admoniſh you, and to eſteem of them very highly in love for their works ſake; And ſo in Heb. 13.17. Obey them that have the rule over you, and ſubmit your ſelves: for they watch for your ſouls, as they that muſt give account: that they may do it with joy, and not with grief; for that is unprofitable for you. Oh it is a ſad thing! if one that God ſends to watch for the ſouls of people, ſhall bee forced to return his account to God with ſorrow of heart, and ſay, Lord, thou that knoweſt all things, knoweſt what deſires I have had, and what indeavours to do good to the ſouls of this people, how it hath been my ſtudy, my prayer, to finde out what might bee moſt profitable for their ſouls, how willing I was to venture my life in ſeeking to do good to their ſouls; but Oh Lord! I have ſpent care, and ſtudy, and ſtrength, and even almoſt my life in vain; little good do I finde done to the ſouls of this people; Lord, they reject thy word, they contemn it, they minde it not; there are other things that their hearts are upon, to follow the luſts of their fleſh, as if ſo bee they had no immortal ſouls to look unto; I ſay, if any faithful Miniſter of God ſhall go to God and make his moan thus unto God with grief and trouble of heart, it will bee very ill for you; it will bee a fearful moan in the ears of God againſt a people, when any Miniſter ſhall juſtly make this to God againſt them; therefore ſaith the Apoſtle here, Obey them that have the rule over you, and ſubmit your ſelves: for they watch for your ſouls, as they that muſt give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief. Conſider, ſo far as any have charge of ſouls, it is a heavy burden that is upon them, a heavy weight; ſurely, whoſoever ſhould take charge of ſo many thouſand ſouls as belongs to this Congregation would have weight and burden enough upon his ſhoulders, you ſhould pitty them that have this charge over you. I remember Chryſoſtome in his writing upon this very Scripture, ſaith, Hee wonders how any of theſe that are here ſaid to watch over mens ſouls, how any of them could bee ſaved, becauſe the charge is ſo great that is upon them: And I have read of one being called to the work of the Miniſtery, would by any means avoid it, and profeſſes that hee would not for all the world have the charge of a ſoul one day upon him. Certainly it is a great work, and requires very much ſeriouſneſs and diligence to have a ſoul committed to one. If a man had a precious Pearl committed to his charge, that were worth ten thouſand pound, that hee muſt look to it, and keep it, hee would hardly bee able to ſleep quietly after hee had ſo great a charge committed to him; And truly, if men are careful that have but beaſts committed to them, as Jacob ſaid concerning his Unkle Labans cattel, that hee look'd to them ſo as that hee indured the froſt in the night, and the heat of the day; much diligence and care then ſhould they have, that have the charge of ſouls: But wee let that paſs.
Yet in the fourth place, If ſouls have ſuch excellency, Uſe. 4 then certainly thoſe who have moſt ſoul-excellency, are the moſt excellent people; wee may judge here who they are that are the moſt excellent upon the earth, The Righteous is more excellent than his neighbour; perhaps his neighbour is richer than hee, hath a comlier body than hee, but yet hee is more excellent, why? becauſe all excellency muſt be judged by that that is moſt proper to the Creature, and that that is the chief part of the Creature; as if you would judge of the goodneſs of a knife, you will not judge by the haft of it, whether it bee good or no, but you will judge by the metal of the knife, you judge by that wherein the chief of the knife is; ſo, if you will judge of the excellency of a man or woman, you muſt judge of his excellency by the excellency of that that is moſt proper to him: Now, for Senſe, for the body, why the brute-beaſts they have ſenſe, they have fleſh and blood as well as wee, onelyonly wee differ in theſe rational immortal ſouls that God hath given to us; therefore ſuch, whoſe ſouls are filled with divine excellency, they are to bee moſt honoured, they are indeed the Lords and Ladies of the world; therefore the Scripture ſpeaks of thoſe, whoſe out-ſides were mean enough; in the latter end of the 11th. of the Hebrews, that wandered in ſheep-skins and goat-skins, yet they were ſuch as the world was not worthy of them. Indeed, a man of underſtanding is of an excellent ſpirit; wee read of the Ark, the outſide was of Badgers-skins, it had a poor and mean outſide, but within were the Cherubims, and Gold was within; And ſo, many have very mean outſides, but within there is a great deal of excellency; and others that have brave outſides, and well clad without, yet if you look within them, oh what vile ſouls have they! the heart of the wicked is little worth, ſaith the Scripture; Perhaps his Land may bee ſomewhat worth, and his Houſe, but his heart is little worth; As many a man that hath perhaps a hand full of ſores, yet may have a fine imbroidered Glove upon it; and a dunghill may bee ſtrewed with herbs, and in the winter time filthy dunghills you know are covered with white Snow, that in a fair froſty day look as gliſtering as the Snow that is upon a fine Meddow, but ſtill nothing but filth: So it is with many a man that hath a fine outſide, covered over it may bee with a great many outward excellencies, but within their ſpirits nothing but carrion, nothing but abominable ſtuff that is filthy and loathſome in the eyes of God; as a ſore legg may have a fine ſtockin o… boot upon it; and ſo a ſore putrified ſoul may have a brave outſide upon it. But that God that is a Spirit, that looks unto Spirit, and thoſe men that know what ſpiritual excellency means, if they ſee a man or woman have a filthy, defiled, corrupt ſoul, they cannot but eſteem of them accordingly. Whatſoever the body, or the out-ſide bee, thoſe are the moſt excellent in Gods eſteem, and the holy Angels, and the Saints, that have the moſt excellent ſouls, for that is the beſt part of man.
Uſe. 5 But fifthly, If the ſoul of man bee ſo excellent, Oh let us bleſs God for our ſouls, bleſs God, I ſay, that hath given unto you theſe immortal ſouls that are of ſo great a worth: Oh what cauſe have every one of you to bleſs God that hee did not make you a Toad, a Dog, a Snake, that hee did not make you any vile brute creature, but that when you were before him in the common lump out of which God made his creatures, that hee would rather chooſe you to bee one that ſhould have an immortal ſoul, ſo precious, rather than to bee a brute creature? Bleſs God, I ſay for this, for by this means,
Firſt, You are looked upon by the Angels themſelves, with honour, and with reſpect, till ſuch time as the Angels certainly know your Reprobation, and that you bee ſent down to hell: Though you bee wicked for the preſent, and your ſouls bee defiled, yet the Angels know nothing but that theſe ſouls, though now much fallen from God, may bee ſuch as may live with them to injoy eternal communion with God together with them, and therefore they look upon you with honour.
And the providence of God it is more towards you, than towards any other creature in the world. Doth God take care for Oxen? ſaith the Scripture: True, the providence of God it is over all his works, there is not the leaſt worm that ſtirs without his providence. I, but doth God take care for Oxen? that is, as if the Holy Ghoſt there ſhould ſay, the providence of God over other creatures, it is nothing in compariſon of that it is over the ſpirits of men, over thoſe that have immortal ſouls: When God looks upon the creature, that hee hath given an immortal ſoul too, why ſaith God, My Providence ſhall in a ſpecial manner bee over this ſoul: And certainly the thoughts of God have been from all eternity working towards thoſe that have immortal ſouls, in a more ſpecial manner than towards any of his other creatures; how ever you think of God, yet that is certain, God hath had his thoughts towards you one way or other from all eternity, and intends to fetch out a great deal of honor to his name from you one way or other, and therefore his Providence is towards you; God obſerves you, and marks you what way you take, his eye is upon you, for hee intends to bring ſome great glory out of you, God will not loſe his creature fully, you may loſe your own ſouls, but God will not loſe the glory that hee might have from you, but hee will have glory from you one way or other.
And if God hath given you immortal ſouls, you have cauſe to bleſs him, becauſe whatſoever you are now, yet you are ſuch as are capable of all the good that ever Jeſus Chriſt hath purchaſed, and therefore it is a happy thing for one to have an immortal ſoul, becauſe they are not out of capacity of receiving that good that the Lord Chriſt hath purchaſed for his people; the brute beaſts are not capable, they are capable of no higher good, but to eat and drink, and live here a while, and have their ſenſes to bee pleaſed, and there is an end of them, but know, whatſoever thou art, thou art capable of all the good that ever Chriſt hath purchaſed, and therefore thy condition is a great deal better in that reſpect than the condition of all other creatures in the world. And thou having a ſoul within thee, God hath made thee for eternity one way or other, and hee intends for to have thee to live to all eternity in one condition or other: Now it is I ſay, a happineſs to bee made ſuch a creature, as that God ſhould have thoughts about from all eternity.
It may bee you will ſay, It were better that it were otherwiſe with us.
I confeſs ſuch is the condition of ſome through their ſin, living and dying in it, that it were better ten thouſand times that they had been Dogs, or Toads, and Serpents, I but that is but through thy wickedneſs, but it cannot bee ſaid of the vildeſt alive, for there is none of you, but for ought Angels or men know, may live eternally to the praiſe of Gods grace in Chriſt, you have ſuch kinde of natures as are capable of it. Now it is true, if you ſhould dye in your ſins, then it might bee ſaid at that inſtance when you dye in your ſins, that it had been better that you had been Toads or Serpents, or any thing in the world: But were not this a ſad thing for a man that hath ſuch an excellent nature, to live and dye ſo that they may wiſh hereafter that they had been Toads or Dogs? how many are there that are willing, ſo they may live like a beaſt, to dye like a beaſt, I but that thou canſt not bring thy ſelf to dye like a beaſt, thou muſt be infinitly worſe, or infinitly better than the brute beaſts. But bleſs God that thou haſt a nature capable of ſo much good, whatſoever thou art in other reſpects, though God hath made a great difference between thee and others that are of the ſame kinde in thy outward eſtate, God hath made a great deal of difference between poor and rich, between a poor Alms-body that lives in ſo mean a condition, and between a Noble-man, a Prince, an Emperour; I but this difference is made in the outward eſtate and body, but there is no ſuch difference made in their ſouls, thou haſt as precious a ſoul within thee, that is naturally as good as ever any Emperour had in the world, ſo Philoſophers ſay of the ſouls of men, mens ſouls are equal, and one is not better than another by nature, what they are better by is afterwards, by education, or by common gifts of the graces of God, but by nature all men are equal. And therefore that wherein mans excellency is, is in his ſoul, thou art as high as any Emperour in the world, and therefore it is that the Scripture would have no difference made between the ſouls of men, in Exod. 30.15. you ſhall finde there by that Scripture, that God would not have difference made of the ſouls of men, it is ſaid in the 14. verſe, Every one that paſſeth among you, that are numbred from twenty years old and above, ſhall give an offering unto the Lord; God would have an offering from every one of them: Now mark what hee ſaith in the 15. verſe, The rich ſhall not give more, and the poor ſhall not give leſs than half a ſhekel when they give an offering unto the Lord to make an attonement for their ſouls; There muſt bee the ſame attonement made for ſouls, both for the rich, and for the poor. And as wee ſpake the laſt day in opening the excellency of the ſoul, it appears by the price that was paid for it; ſo here they are equal in this, that the poor mans ſoul muſt have as great a price paid to ſave it, as the richeſt man in the world. And therefore bleſs God for thy ſoul in this, that hee hath made thee equal with the Kings and Princes of the world in that that is thy more noble, and more excellent part.
And bleſs God for ſoul-mercies above all mercies; If the ſoul bee ſo excellent, then I ſay, bleſs God that hath granted thee ſoul-mercies, though hee hath denied thee bodily-mercies, it is no great matter; as ſuppoſe, If ſo bee that God ſhould take away the ſight of thine eyes, yet if hee opens the eyes of thine underſtanding, of thy ſoul, thou art happy: Suppoſe that thou art lame in thy body, yet if thou canſt walk in the wayes of Gods Commandements, and run there, thou art a happy creature: It may be thou wanteſt food, I, but if God feed thy ſoul with ſpiritual Manna, feed thee every day with food from heaven, and take care for the feeding of thy ſoul, thou art not ſo miſerable as thou thoughtſt thy ſelf; thou haſt tattered cloaths, I but if God hath provided the righteouſneſs of his Son to bee a garment to cloach thy ſoul, every time thou appeareſt before him, thou art a happy creature in that, therefore when thy heart is ready to murmure, that God hath denied thee bodily mercies that hee hath granted to others, think with thy ſelf, I but hath not God recompenced mee in ſoul mercies? I make no queſtion but there are many ſouls that bleſs God that ever they have lived to this time, though they have ſuffered hard things for their bodies, many that have loſt, and been plundered of all, yet bleſs God that they have lived to the time wherein there was ſo much plenty of the food of ſouls: Oh thoſe truths of God that have been revealed unto us ſince thoſe times, but had thoſe that had the power before, had the power ſtill continued, wee had never had ſuch truths made known unto us, they account all recompenced in ſoul-mercies, in Eph. 1.3. Bleſſed bee the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who hath bleſſed us with all ſpiritual bleſſings in heavenly places in Chriſt. Mark what the Apoſtle ſaith there, his heart is filled with this, Bleſſed bee God, and the Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt; Wherefore? that hee hath given us good trading, and good incomes, that hath given us food and rayment, wee are to bleſs God for this, I but the Apoſtles heart was above this, therefore ſaith hee, Bleſſed bee the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who hath bleſſed us with all ſpiritual bleſſings in heavenly things in Chriſt, they are the bleſſings indeed that wee have cauſe to bleſs him for, ſpiritual bleſſings, ſoul-mercies; as for bodily-mercies, wee know that the Heathens and Reprobates have had as great a ſhare in as any in the world; but bleſſed bee God, though wee bee denied theſe outward bodily favours, yet wee have ſpiritual bleſſings. Oh thanks bee to God, and the Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who hath bleſſed us with ſpiritual bleſsings in heavenly places in Chriſt. And this now would bee a good argument that you do know the worth of your ſouls; if you can be bleſſing of God for ſpiritual bleſſings in Jeſus Chriſt, above all bleſſings, and account your ſelves rich enough, if you have the riches of ſpiritual bleſſings.
And then further, Oh if the ſoul of man bee ſo precious, What great pitty is it that God ſhould not have the honour of mens ſouls, of ſuch a noble and excellent creature; it is great pitty that there ſhould bee any creature under the Sun that God ſhould not have the honour of; that God ſhould not have honour from every pile of graſs, from every bit of bread that is eaten, from every ſtone in the ſtreet: But now that God ſhould give to mankinde ſuch an excellent ſpirit, a ſoul more precious than all the world, and yet that God ſhould not have the glory of this, Oh this is an evil thing under the Sun indeed, this muſt needs go to the heart of God; for the truth is, God hath his glory from all other creatures by the ſoul of man. As for other creatures, hee hath his glory but paſſively from them, but for mans ſoul hee doth expect to have his glory actively from that: that man by his ſoul ſhould come to know this God, the infinite firſt-being of all things, ſhould fear him, and worſhip him, and ſerve him, and have communion with him, and praiſe him; and therefore David in Pſal. 103. My ſoul praiſe thou the Lord, and all that is within mee praiſe his holy name. And again, hee concludes, My ſoul praiſe thou the Lord. And ſo in Pſal. 104. Now upon the conſideration of what hath been ſaid of the excellency of our ſouls, wee ſhould lay a charge upon them, that they do honour God, and ſerve God: What a ſad charge will this bee to many a man at the great day, when God ſhall ſay, Haddeſt thou been made a Dog, I never had had ſo much diſhonour as I have had, I ſhould have had more honour if I had made thee a Dog, there I ſhould have had my honour paſſively, and no diſhonour from thee? But now, thou being made an immortal ſoul, as it was capable of honouring mee, ſo of ſinning againſt mee; the more excellent a thing is, the more capable of evil it is, as well as of good; no creatures, but Angels and men are able to ſin againſt God. Oh it is pitty that God ſhould not have the honour of thy immortal ſoul. God had more honour from Nebuchadnezzar, when hee was driven out among the beaſts, than when hee ſat upon the Throne as a King.
And then further, that ſhould have been another Uſe, to have laboured to perſwade you to take heed of diſhonouring theſe ſouls of yours. God hath put a great deal of glory and excellency upon them, do not you diſhonour them; and many wayes ſhould have been ſaid how men do put diſhonour upon their ſouls; only for the concluſion; Oh that you would but learn to love your own ſouls: To love them. It is a ſtrange exhortation you will ſay to exhort men to love their ſouls: Oh, that you would but do it, Pſal. 22. David calls his ſoul his Darling, the ſouls of men ſhould bee indeed their Darlings, not their bodies. It was a ſpeech of a Courtier to his friend, ſaith hee, I love you as mine own ſoul; Oh ſaith hee, then you love mee not at all; if you had ſaid you had loved mee as your body, then I ſhould have thought you had loved mee, but I ſee no love you have to your ſoul; It was the prayer of the Apoſtle St. John in the Epiſtle that hee writ to his hoſt Gaius, I ſuppoſe you that know Scripture, are not unacquainted with it, in his third Epiſtle, Beloved, I wiſh above all things that thou mayeſt proſper, and bee in health, even as thy ſoul proſpereth.
I ſhall cloſe all I intend for the preſent with this Scripture; it ſeems that Gaius was a holy man, but a man of a weakly and ſick body, and therefore St. John writing to him, hee prayes thus, Above all things, I deſire that thy body may but proſper, as thy ſoul proſpereth. As if hee ſhould ſay, O Gaius, thou haſt an excellent gracious ſoul, indued with admirable graces of the Spirit of God, full of God thy ſoul is, though thy body bee weakly: Oh that thou hadſt but as good a body, as thou haſt a ſoul. It ſeems Gaius had more care of his ſoul a great deal, than of his body: but now my brethren conſider this, Would not this bee a curſe to moſt men for one to pray thus for them, Oh Lord, give them ſuch bodies, as they have ſouls? it were as much as to ſay, Lord, Let that body bee blaſted, let it bee filled with diſeaſes, let it bee filled with rottenneſs, let it conſume away, let it bee a noyſome and loathſome body, for his ſoul is ſo; The ſouls of moſt men are filled with diſeaſes, are noyſome and loathſome in the eyes of God. It is a happy thing, my brethren, to have better ſouls than bodies, that was the happineſs of Gaius, and ſo it would bee your happineſs, if you could ſay ſo; you have great care of the bodies of your children, I, but have you a greater care of their ſouls? if you have, it would bee an excellent ſign that God hath made you to underſtand what true excellency means. It is a great queſtion among Divines, and among Philoſophers too, about the propagation of the ſoul, how it comes in, whether by the Parents, or immediate creation; truly there is one argument that it is not like to come in by the Parents, becauſe wee ſee that there is ſcarce any Parents that have any care of the ſouls of their children, but altogether caring that their bodies may bee fine, and that they may bee brave; and as they look at their children, ſo they look at themſelves, they love their bodies to the uttermoſt, to make proviſion for the fleſh, but no further. What a deal of do would there bee, if when any of your children goes abroad, or husband, or wife, If you ſhould hear that they have gotten a fall and broke their legs or arms? but now when you go abroad, and fall into ſin, and get a wound to your ſouls, as every ſin it gives a deadly wound, yea ſuch a wound as onelyonly the blood of Jeſus Chriſt is able … cure it; and there is nothing made of all this, as if wee were nothing but lumps of fleſh: Oh have a care of your ſouls, and labour to love them, and make them to bee your Darling; you had need have a care of them, for as they are precious, ſo they are tender; as it is with Watches and curious Inſtruments, thoſe that are moſt curious are the eaſieſt hurt, the very air will put them out of temper; and ſo the ſouls of men, becauſe they are things ſo excellent, they are things of a very curious nature, and a little thing wil hurt them. As a little thing will hurt the eye, for that is a more excellent member than your finger or leg; ſo the ſoul is a more excellent part, and therefore it is that that is moſt in danger to bee hurt and miſchiefed, yea and to periſh, and if your ſoul periſhes, your body will follow after, what will become of that if your ſoul bee loſt and periſh? but the onelyonly way to love your bodies well, and aright, it is to love your ſouls.